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Background
On 15 May 2003, the Public Accounts Committee of the 36th Parliament tabled Report No. 5, The 2001-2002 Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General: A Performance Review. Among other things, the Committee recommended that all government agencies subject to a Performance Audit by the Auditor General should be required to report to the Public Accounts Committee within 12 months of the tabling of the Auditor General's Report. The reporting should provide details of the implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations.
The Public Accounts Committee wrote to all Government Ministers and Directors General to inform them of the requirement to report to the Committee, and received favourable responses. The Auditor General also welcomed the Committee’s initiative, which ensures that there is improved accountability to Parliament.
Follow-up process
The Public Accounts Committee of the 37th Parliament resolved to follow up the progress of government agencies in implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations, based on the procedure established by its predecessor. The Public Accounts Committees of the 38th and 39th Parliaments (the latter being the current Committee) have similarly resolved to continue the follow-up process based on the established procedure.
The general procedure observed by the current Committee is as follows:
1. The Auditor General tables a Performance Audit report relating to a particular agency.
2. After considering the report, the Committee requests the agency to provide a report within 3 months regarding progress on the implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations.
3. The Committee considers the agency’s response and may forward it off to the Auditor General for further comment. Should the Committee require additional information it may write again the agency concerned or organise a public hearing.
On completion of its follow-up process, the Committee will table a report in the Parliament. This report may make recommendations in relation to an agency’s implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations. The responsible Minister will have three months to respond to the Legislative Assembly in relation to any Committee recommendations.
The Committee may also, from time to time, adopt aspects of this follow up process to question agencies that have been the subject of repeat qualified opinions in the Auditor General's Annual Audit Results Report.
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